You Need to Catch These Movies at the Never Forget Film Festival

To paraphrase the oft-repeated saying by the philosopher George Santayana: Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it. This September, Cinema Centenario and the Commission of Human Rights commemorate the 46th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law through the month-long Never Forget Film Festival. It features a selection of restored and remastered classics and contemporary titles that show the struggles endured during the time of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. The Never Forget Film Festival (NFFF) runs from September 1 to 30 at Cinema Centenario in Diliman, Quezon City.

Here are some of the movies and documentaries you need to add to your viewing list:

Ang Panahon ng Halimaw (2018)

Lav Diaz's latest is a four-hour Filipino rock opera, which is set around a village controlled and terrorized by uniformed armed men. The prologue of the film identifies these men as members of the Civilian Home Defense Forces during the Martial Law period.

Moral (1982)

Moral, directed by Marilou Diaz-Abaya and written by Ricky Lee, stars Lorna Tolentino, Gina Alajar, Sandy Andolong, and Anna Marin. One of the official entries for the 1982 Metro Manila Film Festival, it's a movie about four friends at the height of youth activism in the years before Martial Law.

Citizen Jake (2017)

Citizen Jake follows the story of journalist Jake Herrera, Jr. (played by Atom Araullo) as he tries to solve the rape and murder case of a female student in his Baguio hometown. Along the way, we see the realities of corruption and tyranny in a Third World country.

The Never Forget Film Festival runs from September 1 to 30 at Cinema Centenario, 95 Maginhawa Street, Teachers Village, Diliman, Quezon City. For more information, follow Never Forget Film Festival's Facebook page.

This story originally appeared on Fhm.com.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Spot.ph editors.